Rock Creek's Message Board

So last year, I'm fishing the willows at East Fork. The willows there are really thick, you can't walk along the bank, just from opening to opening. It's early, the sun isn't in the valley yet. On the other side of the creek, maybe 10 feet away, a coyote comes along looking down in the water, moving from hole to hole. I thought, that's cool. The next morning, he shows up on my side of the creek, popping out of a hole maybe 4 or 5 feet to my right. I ask him, in a strong voice (?) "What's up Mr. Coyote"? He disappears back into the willow, I look back to see where he's gone. He sneaks around me to the other side and is running off with a fish he pulled off my stringer. Juked! I wonder how many tourists' pockets have been picked by Wiley!

Title: Re: Wildlife?
Post by: Gary C. on June 14, 2016, 12:05:55 PM

I've never had anything stolen right in front of me like that but I have heard and seen pictures of bears walking the shore line taking whatever they wanted from stringers.

Title: Re: Wildlife?
Post by: bj on June 14, 2016, 12:36:10 PM

There was a group of 3 bears at Lake Mary that would run the fishermen off and then take the stringers. Hillarious!

2 years ago we had bears in the campsite at Eastfork in the day. I saw one walking off with a box of Cheerios and heard of another eating a citronella candle. I get them on my game camera most nights. I fish with bear spray now. The ranger told me there are like 8 bears in the Long Valley.

Title: Re: Wildlife?
Post by: wshawkins on June 14, 2016, 02:26:54 PM

Similar story as bj and Gary mentioned with 3 bears at Lower Virginia Lakes running off the bait fishermen and eating the fish right off the stringers, leaving just the fish heads! Priceless!

There is a lot of wildlife that few ever see, so consider yourself lucky. We had visited for 30+ years and gphad never seen a bear. Now that we have a summer cabin in the canyon, we have about seen it all - Bear, Coyote, Fox, Skunk, Racoon, Marmot, Mule Deer, Mountain Lion and about every breed of squirrel and chipmunk. Last year we saw more coyote during the day than ever before...one was even running down the road.

I believe both were hit during the day. The first one around Memorial day was killed the second one was over Memorial Day during the day and was injured but ran off ,Fish and game were trying to find it . People drive way to fast on that road.

Title: Re: Wildlife?
Post by: beldingi on June 16, 2016, 05:52:02 PM

At the Lower Horse Corral today, within a 90 minute period we watched a weasel bound around the meadow, a bear amble through the woods, and a bald eagle fly up the creek. It's great to be back!